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Three of My Favorite Novels Inspired by Mythology

Mythology
and other legends often explore universal truths about humanity, even
ones that we would prefer to ignore. These novels take the original
tales and put new spins on characters and stories that mankind has never
forgotten.

American Gods by
Neil Gaiman is a favorite of mine, but I freely admit being a Gaiman
fan girl. He is an amazing storyteller and just draws his readers into
the worlds that he creates. If you have the opportunity to listen to his
work on audio book I highly recommend it, as he does his own narrations
and does a phenomenal job. In American Gods Gaiman uses
players from Norse, Hindu, Egyptian and African legends and throws them
into today's world with their personalities and scheming fully intact.
Readers follow Shadow Moon, released from prison one day after his wife
is killed in a car accident. He says goodbye to his old life and accepts
the job offer from a strange new acquaintance. Shadow is drawn into the
strange reality of gods living in America and their battles amongst
themselves.The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul by
Douglas Adams is the sequel to Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency.
We see the intrepid Dirk Gently investigating a man possessed by Odin.
The novel is twisting and rambling but in an indescribably good way.
Adams gave the world a novel that is both confusing and thought
invoking. Every single time I pick up this book I see something that
that I do not remember from previous readings. Puns and one liners will
keep you laughing while the Norse gods wondering around in society will
get you thinking about the nature of man, immortality and what people
want versus what they need. The Lightning Thief and
the entire Percy Jackson and the Olympians series by Rick Riordan are
found in the young adult section. The series is well known now due to
the movie, but the books are still well worth reading. Do not skip the
books just to watch the movie; the books are worth reading and adding to
your collection. Young Percy Jackson just can not seem to blend in with
'normal' kids. He gets expelled from schools for fighting with monsters
that only he can see. Soon he is sent to Camp Half-Blood where he
learns the reason behind his problems, and that his is the child of a
god. Prophesy quests and godly feuds fuel this action pact series that
is a great read for everyone from around age nine and up. Older readers
might also enjoy Oh. My Gods. by Tera Lynn Childs which is another series featuring children of the gods, but this time from a teenage girl's perspective.Other fantastic novels of this sort include Radiant Darkness by Emily Whitman which retells the story of Persephone and Hades as well as The King Must Die by Mary Renault, The Firebrand by Marion Zimmer Bradley, any books in P.C. Cast's Goddess series, Quicksilver by Stephanie Spinner and Ilium by Dan Simmons.